Display devices

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION RELATES TO A DISPLAY DEVICE FOR SELECTIVELY DISPLAYING ADVERTISEMENTS OR OTHER INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PREDETERMINED PROGRAMME AND WHICH CHANGES THE DISPLAY MATERIAL AFTER SPECIFIC TIME PERIODS. THE DEVICE COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF DISPLAY MEMBERS FOR CARRYING THE MATTER TO BE DISPLAYED, TRANSPORT MEANS FOR MOVING ANY OF THE DISPLAYED, TRANSPORT MEANS FOR POSITION AND PRESELECTOR MEANS DETERMINING THE ORDER IN WHICH THE DISPLAY MEMBERS ARE MOVED INTO THE DISPLAY POSITION.

Feb. 16', 1971 v, OLLIN ETA]. 3,562,935

DISPLAY DEVICES Filed May 20, 1968 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

United States Patent 3,562,935 DISPLAY DEVICES Victor M. Collins, Waygill, Burtons Lane, Chalfont St.

Giles, Bucks, England, and James K. Smith, 9 Gloucester Close, Rainham, Kent, England Filed May 20, 1968, Ser. No. 730,549 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 24, 1967, 24,247/ 67; Oct. 24, 1967, 48,348/ 67 Int. Cl. G091? 11/00 US. Cl. 40-53 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a display device for selectively displaying advertisements or other information in accordance with a predetermined programme and which changes the display material after specific time periods. The device comprises a plurality of display members for carrying the matter to be displayed, transport means for moving any of the display members to and from a display position and preselector means determining the order in which the display members are moved into the display position.

The present invention relates to a display device for displaying posters, advertisements or other information and which enables the information displayed to be automatically changed at predetermined times or after specific time periods.

According to the present invention, a display device for displaying posters, advertisements or other information comprises a plurality of display members for carrying the matter to be displayed, transport means for moving any of the display members to and from a display position and preselector means determining the order in which the display members are moved into the display position. Preferably the device also includes timing means for controlling the period for which any one display member remains in the display position.

The display members advantageously comprise a series of boards, panels, slides, rolls or other display surfaces carrying the information to be displayed, which are stored at a storage position and are selectively moved to and from the display position by the transport means, in accordance with the predetermined order or programme set up by the preselector means and for time periods determined by the timing means. The display members are preferably made in one piece but for large installations may comprise a plurality of sections which are simultaneously moved to the display position to present a complete display.

The transport means may be of any desired kind and may for example, be a mechanical, electro-mechanical or hydraulic mechanism.

According to one form of the invention, the preselection of the order of display of the display members is determined by means of a counter. Alternatively, the preselection of the order of display of the display members is determined by means of a member having a plurality of electrical contacts arranged or interconnected in a particular fashion, for example a plug and socket arrangement wherein the pins of the plug are interconnected according to a predetermined order of display of the display members.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a counter is triggered by pulses from a timer device and has a number of outputs equal to the number of different display members, each output being fed through an AND circuit, relay contacts, and a preselector arrangement for predetermining the order in which the display members are to be displayed, in combination with circuits control- Ice ling the operation of the transport mechanism to move any of the display members to the display position. A further counter may be provided whose outputs are connected to a plurality of relay coils controlling the relay contacts, one relay being provided for each duration of a predetermined period of display, for example for each day of a week.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the casing of one embodiment of display device;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front view of the device with the casing removed and showing the general arrangement of the principal parts;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the device, on a slightly larger scale, with the casing removed;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the mechanism for controlling the raising of the display members to the display position; and

FIG. 5 is a block circuit diagram of the control and preselection devices.

The display device to be described is particularly intended for the display of advertising material on an open site and could take the place of a conventional hoarding or billboard. To this end, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus is contained within a weatherproof housing 1 having a large glass display window 2 behind which advertising material can be displayed; the nature of the advertisement changing from time-to-time in accordance with a predetermined programme.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2. and 3, the apparatus basically comprises a plurality of display panels 3 arranged side-by-side in a storage position and each of which is intended to carry an advertisement or other material to be displayed on its surface facing the window 2 when any panel is raised to the display position behind the window. Each display panel 3 may comprise a metal sheet, e.g. of aluminium, to which a poster or other display material is secured and which may be covered by a sheet of a transparent plastics material such as Perspex. In this embodiment six panels are shown, though obviously a greater or smaller number of panels may be provided. The panels may be easily removed from the storage position for insertion or changing of the display material.

The panels are stored between a pair of vertical members 4 at each end of the device and are raised and lowered to and from the display position by a transport mechanism. This transport mechanism includes a pick-up mechanism generally indicated at 6 at each end of the device and which will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 4. Each pick-up mechanism is connected to a cable arrangement 7 in the form of a loop passing over guide pulleys 8, and includes a counterweight 9 for balancing the weight of a panel 3 as it is transported to and from the display position. The transport mechanism is driven by a reversible electric motor 5 through drive members 10.

A Venetian blind 11 is provided which can be lowered in front of the window 2 whilst a panel is being raised to or lowered from the display position. The raising and lowering of the blind is controlled by an electric motor 12 and the tilting of the blind slats, to close the blind, by an electric motor 13. The motors 5, 12 and 13 are enclosed by a removable cover 14 for the housing 1. The bottom of the housing contains the control circuitry 15 and batteries 16 whose function will be described later.

The display device may also incorporate means for illuminating the advertisement or other material dis played in the display window.

In FIG. 3, one display panel 3 is shown in the raised or display position and the blind 11 is shown lowered behind the window 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, the pick-up mechanism 6 will now be described. This mechanism, provided at each end of the device, comprises a metal block 20 containing a row of six plungers 21, respectively located opposite the six display panels and which can be actuated to engage behind a projection 3a at the adjacent upper corner of its associated panel 3. The plungers are slidable in apertures in the block and a spring 22 acts on each plunger to ensure frictional engagement with the aperture. The blocks 20 are suspended by the cables 7 and are guided vertically by the members 4. The opposite ends 21a and 21b of each plunger are inclined and respectively cooperate with a cam block '25 and'a pivoted lever 23 actuated by a solenoid 24, one solenoid and lever being provided for each plunger.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described. In the position shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that one display panel has just been lowered. The block 20 continues its downward movement and as the end 21a of the plunger 21 which supported the lowered panel engages cam block 25, the plunger is pushed to the rightas shown in broken lines. The solenoids 24 associated with the next display panel to be raised are now energised, pivoting lever 23 to the broken line position, whereby as the block 20 now moves upward, the end 21b of the associated plunger engages lever 23 to push the plunger to the left so that its end 21a engages behind projection 3a on the selected panel 3. This action takes place at each end of the panel so that further upward movement of the blocks 20 causes the plungers 21 to carry the selected panel to the display position opposite the window 2. When the display period for that panel is over, the mechanism is actuated to lower that panel and the sequence of operations is repeated for the next panel. As mentioned previously, the raising and lowering of the pick-up mechanism is controlled by the reversible motor 5.

During the raising and lowering of the panels the Venetian blind 11 is lowered by motor 12 and the slats closed behind the window by motor 13. The blind is opened and raised when a new panel is on display.

The control circuitry and operation of the pre-selector means will now be described with reference to FIG. 5.

It will be assumed, in the present embodiment, that the display device is intended to display for 30 minute intervals any of six advertisements carried by the panels 3, in any predetermined sequence on each day over a period of one week. The predetermined sequence can differ from day-to-day and if it is desired that any one advertisement shall be displayed for more than a 30 minute period at any one time, then this advertisement can be successively displayed for two or more succeeding 30 minute intervals.

The timing of the display sequence is controlled by a clockwork-electric cam timer T which is a clockwork device which is maintained wound by a motor driven from the electric mains supply. Should the mains supply fail, the timer can continue operating for a considerable period, e.g. 36 hours thereby enabling the timing sequence to continue in operation so that when the mains supply is restored, the display device will continue to operate with the same predetermined sequence of display.

The output shaft of the timer rotates once every twentyfour hours duration, and drives a cam disc having 48 projections equally spaced around its periphery. These projections operate a micro-switch to produce a trigger pulse every 30 minutes which is fed to a pulse shaper circuit P, comprising a monostable multivibrator.

The various circuits are supplied by a stabilised power supply unit PS which is fed from the mains supply and which produces a 2,4-vlt stabilised output voltage to supply the various circuits. The power supply unit is also used to trickle-charge five 6-volt batteries B which are connected through the stabiliser section of the power supply unit to provide a 24-volt emergency supply.

The trigger pulses produced by the timer T and fed through the pulse shaper circuit P are counted and stored by three counter circuits C1, C2 and C3. These counter circuits, which are ring counters, are arranged such that the first counter counts six 30 minute periods, the second counter counts three-hour periods and the third counter counts up to seven days. After 336 trigger pulses, corresponding to one week the counters are reset to zero by the reset circuit R and recommence counting. The reset circuit comprises a monostable multivibrator.

The six outputs from the first counter are fed via AND gates A1 to A6 to different groups of contact sets CS1 to CS6, each group of contact sets comprising one contact set on each of the seven relays RL1 to RL7. The energising coils of the seven relays are energised respectively by seven outputs from the third counter C3. The 42 contact sets are connected to 42 sockets on a 48-way socket unit, the remaining sockets being respectively connected to the memory or hold-on circuits M1 to M6. The socket unit receives a 48 pin patching plug PP. The 42 pins of the patching plug corresponding to the socket connections to the contact sets are interconnected to the remaining pins connected to the circuits M1 to M6 to provide the desired sequence of display of the various panels 3 for each day of the seven day period. In order to alter the sequence of the display it is therefore necessary to change the patching plug for one having different interconnections between the pins or to rewire the patching plug.

The relay contacts are connected through the patching plug connections to six memory or hold-on circuits M1 to M6 which are in turn connected to the respective pairs of solenoids 24, associated with each of the display panels 3 to control the plungers 21 for raising the display panels.

A different relay RL will be energised on each day and the connections provided on the patching plug PP between the contact sets of the relay which is energised and the memory or hold-on circuits determine the sequence of display of the panels.

An upper limit switch S1 is provided which is closed when any panel is raised to the display position and triggers the associated memory or hold-on circuit to deenergise the relevant solenoids once that panel has been raised. A lower limit switch S2 is provided which is closed when any panel is lowered to the storage position and thereby supplies a trigger voltage to the six AND gates A1 to A6, so that the AND gate which is at that time receiving an output from the first counter will pass a current through the appropriate relay contacts and connections of the patching plug to actuate the selected memory or hold-on circuit to cause energisation of the solenoids to engage the next panel to be displayed, which is then raised by energising the motor 5 to drive the transport mechanism.

The trigger pulses from the pulse shaper P are also fed to control the operation of the motor 5 for raising and lowering the display panels, as well as the motors 12 and 13 for raising and lowering the Venetian blind 11 and controlling the tilting of the blind slats. These motors are operated in sequence one after the other by their respective control circuits CC1 to CC3, such that when a changeover of display panels is to take place, initiated by a trigger pulse from the pulse shaper P2, the motor 12 is energised to lower the Venetian blind, the motor 13 is then energized to tilt the slats to close the blind, the motor 5 is then energised and, in cooperation with the operation of the limit switches S1 and S2 lowers one display panel and raises the next selected display panel by means of the transport mechanism and pick-up mechanism, whereafter the motor 13 is again energised to open the slats and finally the motor 12 is again energised to raise the blind and expose the newly displayed panel to view.

The complete changeover can be accomplished in a relatively short period, for example about 40 seconds,

and the frequency of the changeover of the panels i.e. the duration of the display period for any one panel, can be altered by changing the cam on the timer. Thus, although the counters as described have been designed to repeat a predetermined display programme over a weekly schedule, alternative schedules could be devised.

Each of the counters C1 to C3 is provided with a visual digital indicator I so that the state of any of the three counters can be read olf at any time. The indicators for the counters C3, C2, C1 are respectively designated day, three hours, thirty minutes so that at the commencement of a seven day period the indicators read 100 i.e. day one; zero three hour period; and zero half-hour period corresponding to 0000 hours on day one. Assuming that a seven day display period is timed to commence at midnight on Sunday, the position of the counters throughout the weekly display sequence can be determined at any instant i.e. at 1400 hours on Tuesday the counters would read 244 corresponding to day 2, four 3 hour periods and four 30 minute periods.

The counters C1 to C3, AND gates A1 to A6 and memory or hold-on circuits M1 to M6, as well as the motor control circuits CS1 to CS3, may advantageously be constructed using electromagnetically-operated reed switch devices arranged in appropriate logic circuit configurations. Thus the memory or hold-on circuits and the motor control circuits comprise interconnected NOR circuit configurations.

If a fixed sequence of display is to be used for each successive day, the apparatus can be considerably simplified as the second and third counters can be dispens d with, as can also the relays and the patching plug and socket arrangement. In such a case the six outputs from the first counter are fed through the AND gates directly to the memory or hold-on circuits and the order in which these outputs are connected pre-determines the order of display of the panels.

Since the counters are acting as a clock it is necessary to reset them each time the display device is switched on. This is achieved by means of reset controls which are operated until the indicators associated with each counter give a reading corresponding to the desired position.

It will be appreciated that in the event of a mains failure, although the display boards cannot actually change, the sequence of change is maintained by the emergency battery supply and the device will recommence operation at the correct position in the predetermined programme when the mains supply is restored.

Thus, the display device according to the present invention provides means for automatically displaying a plurality of advertisements or other information, each for a desired time period and in a predetermined sequence. Therefore, by means of the present invention, any one advertising or display site can be employed to display several advertisements over a given period without requiring frequent attention and the time for which and at which each advertisement is displayed can be chosen at will be appropriate programming.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus other types of transport mechanism may be employed besides that specifically described. Moreover, the control circuitry could be purely electromechanical and may comprise, for example, a disc or panel carrying a series of fixed contacts each of which is designated to correspond to one of the display members, in combination with a movable contact which can engage any of the fixed contacts to thereby complete an electrical circuit which causes the display member designated by the selected fixed contact to be moved by the transport mechanism into the display position. A plurality of fixed contacts for each display member may be provided and the sequence in which these contacts are arranged will de- 6 termine the order in which the display members are moved to the display position.

The timer mechanism, which determines the period for which each display member is in the display position, may either operate at constant time intervals, or alternatively, the time interval between successive operation of the transport mechanism may be variable according to a further time programme.

We claim:

1. A display device for displaying posters, advertisements or other information comprising a housing, a plurality of display members supported within said housing for carrying the matter to be displayed, transport means for moving any of the display members from a storage position to a display position and from the display position to the storage position, a timer defining intervals of time which determine the period for which any one display member is displayed and controlling the operation of the transport means to move a display member to and from the display position, and sequence determining means determining the order in which the display members are moved into the display position, independently of the order in which the display members are arranged in the storage position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a window in said housing arranged so that a display member in the display position is disposed behind said window, a Venetian blind, means supporting said Venetian blind within said housing between said displayed member and said window, and electro-mechanical means for raising and lowering the blind and for tilting the slats of the blind between the open and closed positions of said slats, said blind being lowered over said window and the slats tilted to the closed position whilst the display is being changed.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the transport means comprises a reversible electric motor, a reciprocable drive arrangement driven by said electric motor for raising a selected display member to the display position and lowering it to the storage position and including a pick-up mechanism connected to the drive arrangement and disposed at each end of the display members, said pick-up mechanism comprising an electro-magnetically operated device which engages with a part of the selected display member.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which said pickup mechanism at each end of the display members comprises a block containing a number of plungers equal to the number of display members, means for causing the plungers at each end of a display member to engage with its associated display member when that display member is to be raised to the display position and means for retracting said plungers when a display member has been lowered to the storage position.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the sequence determining means for determining the order of display of the display members is a member having a plurality of electrical contacts arranged or interconnected in a predetermined fashion.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the member comprises a plug and socket arrangement, the pins of the plug being interconnected according to a predetermined order for the display members.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5, including at least one counter circuit for controlling the display of the display members, as determined by the sequence determining means over a predetermined period which is represented by the total count of said at least one counter.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, in which a counter is triggered by pulses derived from the timer determining the period for which any one display member is displayed.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, including a counter triggered by pulses from the timer and having a number of outputs equal to the number of different display members each output being fed through an AND circuit, relay contacts, and the sequence determining means for determining the order in which the display members are to be displayed, said outputs controlling the operation of the transport means to move any of the display members to the display position.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, including a further counter having outputs connected to a plurality of relay coils controlling the relay contacts, one relay being provided for each duration of a predetermined period of 10 display, for example for each day of a Week.

11. A device as claimed in claim 9, in which output pulses from the timer are also fed to control a motor controlling the operation of the transport means to raise and lower the display members.

12. A device as claimed in claim 9 including upper and lower limit switches which are respectively engaged when a display member is in the upper position or in the lower storage position, said limit switches also controlling the operation of the transport means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,207,737 12/1916 Fotheringham et a1. 4036 1,729,304 9/1929 Wagner 353-89 3,171,114 2/1965 Butler et al 40-52X 3,201,883 8/1965 Schleisner-Meyer 40-1061 3,246,412 4/1966 Sommerhoff 40-106.l

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner 15 L. R. OREMLAND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 40--106.1 

